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Thread: The Gathering

  1. #21
    Adventurer

    EXP: 6,985, Level: 3
    Level completed: 50%, EXP required for next Level: 2,015
    Level completed: 50%,
    EXP required for next Level: 2,015



    GP
    785

    Name
    Koli
    Location
    Raiaera
    "Koli! What is the meaning of this!?"

    Abbas Amo paced in front of the young monk who stood at attention in the inner sanctum of the monastery- the holy of holies. Behind Koli lay the shattered pieces of a stone baptismal, and the sacred symbol of the brotherhood. Koli had not intended for this to happen. He simply felt closest to their God in the Holy of Holies

    "Well?" Abbas Amo pressed.

    Koli had sat on the floor meditating. The depth of his meditation brought him to the heart of his spirit, and inthat moment he fell into complete unawareness of his physical surroundings. His body became weightless, as he dissipated into ethereal energy and began to rise. The young monk's soul began to vibrate at the same frequency as his surroundings. Koli tuned his spirit until he synced in harmony with the world, and in that moment he attained the highest form of being that the creator intended. It felt better than Koli had ever imagined. Time stood still. Problems that plagued humanity remained a mere wisp of thought while he attained this form- emotions, pain, fear, attachment- none of it mattered.

    And then came the high priest into the holy of holies, shattering Koli's concentration. The young monk came crashing down into the baptismal and found himself lying on the floor amidst broken pieces of the cross and basin. Koli picked himself up and shamefully awaited his fate.

    And now he could not bring himself to meet Abbas Amo's gaze.

    "What have you to say for yourself?"

    Koli looked at the high priest and opened his mouth; but when he did, no words came for him to speak. Slowly he closed his mouth, and dropped his gaze to the floor. His fists tightened, and he tensed the muscles in his body to a sharper position of attentiveness.

    Abbas Amo's eyes softened. "Koli, I didn't mean..."

    Tears formed in Koli's eyes out of the sheer disappointment he felt for himself. How could he lose control like that? How could he be so stupid? Here he thought that his meditating benefited his training, but it actually benefited nobody but himself. How could he be so selfish? And now his selfishness caused him to destroy the holy of holies.

    "Koli you cannot be so hard on yourself." The high priest said.

    Koli wanted to tell Abbas Amo he was sorry. He wanted to say how he didn't mean to cause this, and it was an accident. But he felt the world closing in on him, and he grew cold and isolated. The young monk gave a shiver, and then he felt nothing.

    "Koli, please..." Abbas Amo said, placing his hand on Koli's shoulder. "Don't shut me out."

    And in that moment, everything came rushing back. The hurt, the disappointment, the pain. It was more than he could bear.

    Abbas Amo lifted Koli's chin gently with his forefinger and thumb. Large tears rolled down the young Monk's cheeks- his eyes growing gray and troubled, with specks of black darting around. His irises were growing and shrinking as his pupils dilated. Abbas Amo drew him close to his chest in a large hug.

    "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Koli sobbed. "I didn't mean to. I was meditating and I didn't know what was happening and before I knew it I was on the ground and everything was broken and I-"

    "Shhhhhh," Abbas Amo hushed Koli. His long silver hair tickled Koli's ears, and the young monk could feel his father's heart beating in his chest. Something about it soothed the young monk, and his eyes returned to a shade of white starlight. "Breathe, Koli. Just breathe."


    It took all of Koli's energy and concentration, just to inhale and exhale. He came to consciousness on the floor of the inn next to the young boy's bed. He opened his eyes to find blotches of his vision missing as he stared at the ceiling, and his eyes hurt so much that he could only keep them open for a few seconds at a time. Every inch of his existence ached. His face stung and throbbed, the flesh in his body throbbed, and his bones were on fire. His spirit felt bloated and torn, as if his very soul bled poisoned lifeblood into his body. His mind throbbed, fogged and cloudy- as if cracks in his mind impeded his concentration.

    Breathe, Koli. Just breathe.

    He tried to hold on, but an icy atmosphere descended upon him, almost as if a freezing blanket enshrouded his spirit before he faded from consciousness.

    The next time Koli came to, his body ached more, but his mind felt clearer, as if some of his mental wounds had healed. Koli forced himself to his knees, but found that he didn't have the strength to stand up all at once. He collapsed onto all fours.

    Breathe. Just breathe. Abbas Amo's voice echoed in his head. You can do this.

    Koli shuddered and nearly vomited on the floor. After several minutes of deep breathing, he mustered the strength to force himself off of his knees and onto his feet. He stumbled, half hunched over, down the hallway, using the walls to guide him to the restroom. A local merchant exited his room along the hallway with the sound of a man's sighs hanging in the air as the door shut. The merchant looked at Koli, and horror spread across his face.

    "Dear gods," he cried, "by the Divine Blood, whatever evil happened to you, let it stay away from me for all of eternity and into the afterlife!" The man ran downstairs, shirtless, and left the inn entirely.

    After a long journey, Koli finally made it to the restroom at the end of the hall. He latched the door, fell to his knees, and began retching into the chamber pot. Nothing came out, save acid and saliva. Wiping his mouth he stood up, feeling the aches in his body with a vengeance, and used the washbasin. Slowly lifting his gaze, he looked at himself in the mirror.

    Great purple and red circles surrounded his eyes, reaching his temples and eyebrows. Several areas where lesions rose and bubbled in his skin plagued his face and neck. His eyes themselves no longer had any whites, as the blood vessels had popped and colored them a deep crimson red. Dried blood crusted, caked underneath his nose, and his cheeks sported a red and splotchy color with small pits scattered throughout. Long dark purple and blue marks stretched down his neck and onto his chest, around his entire neck in irregular patterns and frequencies. Looking down, Koli found that the magical burns escaped no part of his body; dark red rings and circles plagued his palms and the back of his hands, and stretched up his arms.

    Ashamed of his burned, distorted ghastly appearance, Koli drew his hood and exited the restroom. He needed to get food into his stomach. The priest descended the stairs and made his way to the bar.

    "You look like absolute hell my friend," said the bartender in a voice like wine being poured into a glass. "Whatever you got yourself into, it better not be coming after you here or there's going to be serious problems."

    Koli simply shook his head and pointed to the bread and cheese meal that the man across the bar was enjoying. When the bartender went to pour mead into Koli's glass, he knocked on the table to get the bartender's attention. The priest shook his head and pointed to the glass milk bottles in the corner of the bar.

    "Suit yourself,' the bartender shrugged, and flipped her long raven hair as she turned to the milk. "So how much longer are you staying?" The bartender asked when she brought Koli his meal.

    Koli looked puzzled as he pulled out a gold coin and gently placed it on the bar.

    "Rent is due tomorrow."

    Had Koli really been recovering for almost a week now? He shook his head and pulled out his bag of coins, counting out another week's rent. He slid the gold towards the bartender and looked around. He had to find out what had happened to him. Koli got her attention and pointed to a business ledger below the counter at the far end of the bar.

    "You want my ledger?"

    Koli shook his head. He pointed to the business ledger, and motioned grandly to insinuate lots of them.

    "Oh, you mean you want a library?" She asked. Koli nodded.

    "Why didn't you just say so? There's one that overlooks the ocean in the Nebulous district. Beautiful place. The architecture is incredible. I can show you if you want."
    Last edited by Koli; 08-21-2023 at 11:05 AM.

  2. #22
    Adventurer

    EXP: 38,578, Level: 8
    Level completed: 40%, EXP required for next Level: 5,422
    Level completed: 40%,
    EXP required for next Level: 5,422


    Gavner_Nahs's Avatar

    GP
    2,619

    Name
    XP34748
    Age
    unknown
    Race
    Vampire
    Gender
    Male
    Location
    Raiaera
    "You have to be more vigilant than that child, or you'll never live long enough to be a War Prince!" Vir said with a smile.

    "What do you mean child, Sir? I am thirty-eight years old!" Gavner replied, switching back to the formalities of the battlefield. Gavner had been blooded when he was eighteen and vampires aged at one tenth the rate of humans. He was thirty-eight but he had the appearance of a twenty year old.

    "You may be thirty-eight, but allow me to remind you that I am eight hundred and forty three years old. Compared to me you are a mere infant." Vir said with a smile. Extending his hand, the vampire prince helped Gavner up.

    "Your Majesty, I thought you were sick. How did you manage to join the fight?" Gavner asked.

    "I am still sick, my boy. I was simply needed up here more than down in my deathbed," Vir said. "I have little strength, but what little strength I have I will use. Now go, join the fight my boy. I will follow."

    Turning around Gavner noticed that the fighting had ceased. The remaining sailors were gathered around a duel. As Gavner’s bloodlust began to wear off, he and Vir inhabited the merchant ship alone, and the ocean slowly claimed the ship into more of its deadly embrace every moment. With no grapplings to tie the ships together, the Black Sails Armada ship had been pulling away. About fifteen feet of clearance remained between the ships, and they slowly drifted farther as the moments passed. Running to the edge of the ship Gavner leapt, clearing the distance between the two masses. Landing on the pirate ship, Gavner bumped into the ring of pirates and sailors who enclosed the duel. Still unable to identify the two contenders the vampire rushed to the quarterdeck, where he would have the high ground. Climbing the large wooden steps until he reached the top, Gavner stepped onto the quarterdeck to find Black Shadow and the First Lieutenant from the merchant ship spectating the fight intently.

    “Shadow, what is happening?” Gavner asked his friend. He noticed a massive chunk of wood in the Dark Archer’s side. “What happened to you!?”

    But Black Shadow waved Gavner off, still not taking his eyes off the duel. The vampire looked more intently at the two fighters, and noticed the pirate captain battling an all too familiar merchant.

    "That is not..." Gavner began, realizing the grave mistake that Captain Jack Callahan had made by taking on the enemy ship’s captain.

    “Captain challenged the Black Sails Armada to a dual.” The first lieutenant said. “The winner takes both ships.”

    “The fool!” Gavner exclaimed. “He will get us all killed!”

    “General,” the lieutenant replied, “With all due respect, stand the fuck down. Captain knows what he is doing.”

    “Even if he wins, does he truly expect the pirates to honor the duel?” Gavner hissed at the lieutenant. “I say, to arms!”

    “Captain was very adamant,” The first lieutenant said. “He said he had to do this, and to not interfere under any circumstances. Something about how this battle was different than the others, and he needed to tie up loose ends.”

    Gavner without a doubt had faith in his captain, but the pirate captain lacked honor. Both men boasted massive, muscular figures and Captain Callahan was clearly the superior fighter in technique, but the pirate still boasted more muscle, and more savagery. He held his ground, and tried to sneak in a dirty blow every now and then.

    And yet, as the duel raged on with the brightening morning sky in the background, Jack seemed to prevail over his stronger adversary in the coming dawn. The merchant captain had found his second wind as he forced his opponent onto the defense. Callahan’s upper slashes followed by jabs with his free hand, round kicks, and horizontal slashes almost took the enemy by surprise several times.

    “You haven’t seen the last of me, Howland Pyle!” Callahan shouted at the pirate as the merchant nearly ran Pyle through. The pirate could not keep up with the newfound energy and intensity that his foe had gained. “You shall die before the sun rises!”

    By this time Gavner remembered Vir; the vampire prince was nowhere to be found. Looking over his shoulder, he saw that the merchant ship, now over 100 feet away, and half of it was underwater. Straining his eyes in the dawning sky, Gavner's heart sank as he spotted the vampire prince on the quarterdeck, watching the battle. A sense of disappointment and loss came upon Gavner as he realized that Vir had never intended to join them. Vir Fortis, the vampire legend of Clan Durus, planned on passing from the world in a watery grave out at sea on a sinking merchant ship.

    Shifting uneasily, the pirate crew began to cheer on their captain as they noticed Callahan prevailing. Some shouted words of encouragement as others simply yelled phrases like "Aye Cap'n!" and "Yaar!" Pyle grew angrier with every blocked attack- more infuriated with each of Callahan’s blows. The merchant captain nicked Pyle’s shoulder, sending a small trickle of blood down his arm. Gavner leaned forward, and his pupils dilated as he licked his lips in sight of his enemy’s blood.

    Desperate to get out of defensive mode Captain Pyle threw out all honor of a just duel and resorted to dirty shots. As Callahan thrust his blade at the pirate captain’s chest, Pyle feigned forward and closed his arm and torso against the hilt of Callahan’s sword, pretending that he had been run through. Callahan hesitated, about to give mercy to his opponent.

    “Do you concede?” Callahan asked his enemy in a strong, just voice.

    “Concede yourself!” Pyle shouted as he jerked the sword out of his enemy’s hand and kicked Callahan in the stomach. Callahan staggered backwards, defenseless, and Captain Pyle advanced forward, driving his foot into the crotch of the Merchant Captain. Captain Callahan fell to the ground. Letting his rage consume him, Captain Pyle rained down blows upon his foe. Kick to the stomach, kick to the kidneys, vertical stomp to the face, heel to the neck. Panting from exhaustion, Pyle grunted as he kicked Callahan, over and over again. Merchant sailors cried out in protest.

    “Honor me’ ass!”

    “No low blows!”

    “Fuck off Pirate!”

    “Keep that up n’ Ima come give yeh my steel up yer ass!”

    “Get up Cap’n! Please!”

    “You can do it Sir!”

    "Enough!” Captain Pyle roared. As the Merchant Captain lay on the deck, bleeding from his nose and mouth and sporting several broken bones. “This has gone far enough!"

    Captain Pyle bent over and hissed in Callahan’s face, “You were never more than a maggot! The Black Sails Armada is now the might of the seas. A feat we could not achieve when you sailed among our ranks!”

    Captain Callahan weakly turned his face to the pirate captain. “Fuck off,” he said, blood spraying from his lips. “Your sister was the best damned bitch I’ve ever seen in bed.”

    Roaring in rage, Captain Pyle stood up and brought down the final blow on the merchant captain.

    But events do not always yield the expected results...



    As Pyle brought down his sword, Vir Fortis landed beneath the strike. Being an ancient vampire with prince blood, Vir's abilities and attributes had developed far beyond those of Gavner's. The vampire prince probably had over ten times the strength and speed of Gavner; his nails were as strong as black diamond, and his endurance was superior to that of any living thing. Gavner feared what Vir could have done if he felt healthy. Catching the sword on the back of his nails, the vampire prince deflected the blow and glared at the pirate captain.

    "Under my rule you would have been put to death for your deceit long ago, and so shall it be done now." The vampire said nobly. "I, Vir Fortis, War Prince of Clan Durus, charge you with dishonorable conduct in a significant duel. I hereby sentence you to death where you stand."

    Never before had Gavner seen a vampire prince give a death sentence on the field. Simply Vir’s posture intimidated all who looked upon him; his eyes blazed green with rage, yet his face held calm and cool. Wind blew through his long grey hair, slicking it back, and he looked like death’s messenger himself. Friend or foe would unanimously consent that this being of nobility held supreme authority to all.

    "Burn in hell from whence you came, spawn of Satan. Tell your father that he cannot have me just yet." Pyle said.

    The arrogant captain thrust his blade as if to smite the vampire prince- Captain Pyle’s last ever assault. With the prince possessing over eighteen times the speed of any human, the sword transferred from Pyle's hand to Vir's in a blur. Pushing the captain in the chest, Pyle stumbled backwards into Vir who had already moved behind the pirate to intercept him. Like a cat toying with a mouse, the vampire prince pushed Pyle from behind stumbling him forward again. This time appearing several feet in front of the captain, whereupon Vir Fortis ended the fight. Utilizing nearly all of the supernatural strength and speed available to him in his weakened state, Vir kicked the enemy in the chest with all of his might.

    No eye caught any sight of motion whatsoever. One moment the captain was at the mercy of the vampire prince's foot, and the next he appeared slammed against the mast of the ship. He had not flown through the air, nor could anybody detect him as a blur. He simply transferred from one place one second before their very eyes. Extending his arm in the same manner, the sword vanished from Vir’s hand and appeared in Pyle’s breast, buried so deep that only the hilt was visible. The sound of a thousand cannons rang, out deafening everyone on deck- a sonic boom. Everyone stood back in awe. Vir turned to the pirate crew and roared in rage.

    Some crew members dove overboard as others crumbled onto the ground in utter terror. Crew members from the merchant ship gave a mighty cheer before frantically tying up the cowering pirates who had remained. Vir Fortis smiled, and collapsed onto the deck.

    "Your Majesty!" Gavner shouted as he leapt from the quarterdeck and ran to the Prince. Gavner held the prince in his arms, looking into the face of his fallen kin. "Sir, you did it!"

    "No, we did it, my boy." Vir said weakly. "It seems I have exceeded the amount of energy I had to give."

    "No," Gavner said frantically, "We can fix this. You are going to be okay. Please, your majesty, tell me you are going to be okay!"

    "We all have a certain amount of time in this world, Gavner." Vir said, "I expected to pass on the voyage to Dhethain. An unknown meaningless passing, but you gave me one last battle to be known by. thank you for that."

    "Vir..." Gavner said softly, a twisting pain forming in his chest. "You cannot leave."

    "But I must, my dear child." The dying vampire said, his breaths growing shallow. "A vampire who holds onto things of the past will never be strong for the future. Celebrate the past in remembrance, but never mourn, for the past cannot be changed. Learn from the past and push forward and you, my boy, will become one of the greatest vampires of all time. I’ll see you in paradise."

    So said Vir with a twinkle in his eye, and passed from the world of Althanas nobly; a fitting death for a prince.
    Last edited by Gavner_Nahs; 04-29-2020 at 04:17 PM.

  3. #23
    Innocence & Instincts

    EXP: 29,359, Level: 7
    Level completed: 30%, EXP required for next Level: 5,641
    Level completed: 30%,
    EXP required for next Level: 5,641


    Black Shadow's Avatar

    GP
    2,839

    Name
    Black Shadow
    Race
    Human
    Location
    Raiaera
    Black Shadow watched the battle in astonishment, utterly amazed by the level of swordsmanship possessed by Callahan and Pyle. Each combatant meticulously swung their swords in perfect calculations to parry and counter their opponent. The match drew more intense with every passing moment until Callahan appeared to run his sword through Pyle’s breast.

    “Do you concede?” Callahan asked in a stern voice.

    “Concede yourself!” Pyle answered as his face of pain grew to a smile. He ripped Callahan’s sword from his hand and kicked him in the stomach.

    Black Shadow’s vision blurred suddenly and his hearing faded. He lost his focus as the world stopped and he stumbled, catching himself on a merchant standing by. Seconds became minutes as time warped, Black Shadow unable to understand what happened.

    Black Shadow’s sight returned for a moment to see Gavner bent over a lifeless vampire. The dark archer took one step towards his friend and collapsed, having to adrenaline to carry himself further.

    Gavner noticed Black Shadow out of the corner of his eye. “Shadow!” Gavner Shouted, resting Vir’s head against the deck and rushing to help his friend.

    The wooden steak protruded from Black Shadow’s abdomen and blood flowed slowly from the wound. Gavner picked his friend up and placed him upon his shoulders. He rushed to the surgeon’s quarters passing other injured men.

    Men in need of medical attention filled the surgeon’s quarters and blood littered the walls with a deep red. The smell of open wounds filled Gavner’s nose, overpowering his sense of smell, nearly sending him into another blood lust.

    “We need medical attention, now!” Gavner barked, setting Black Shadow down onto an open table.

    “I already have so many me…”

    “I said NOW, and I will not say it again” Gavner interrupted the pirate surgeon.

    “I’ll help him.” The merchant surgeon replied, stepping forward to inspect Black Shadow. He placed a hand on black Shadow’s stomach, feeling around the wound. “The wood likely pierced his kidney, I have to perform surgery immediately.” The surgeon said, motioning the pirate surgeon to join him.

    “No, he cannot go into intense surgery on the open ocean.” Gavner scowled, bearing his teeth at the surgeons.

    “General, if we do not perform this procedure, he will not survive.”

    “And if he goes into surgery now he will likely die on your table, less than twenty percent of these procedures are successful.”

    “And I can assure you, we will be in the percentage that succeeds.”

    “Gavner.” Callahan’s voice interjected. “Yismir is the best doctor you will ever meet. He is more than a surgeon, he’s a true physician.”

    “That scalpel touches my friend and that ‘physician’ will lose all his blood in his sleep.” Gavner angrily sneered, bearing his teeth again.

    “Trust me, I would not allow him to perform such an important procedure if I did not know it would succeed.”

    Gavner pondered the captain's comments for a moment before responding. “Only if I am to watch the entire process.”

    “Let’s get started then.” Yismir said, picking up a scalpel.



    Black Shadow woke in a well furnished room laying on a soft bed, his companion, Gavner, laying next to him. Black Shadow clutched his stomach, feeling for the wood.

    Gavner noticed his friend awake. “Black Shadow, you are finally awake.” He said, placing his hand on Black Shadow’s shoulder. “You have been asleep for over a week.”

    Black Shadow’s eyes widened and he attempted to stand. A sharp pain engulfed his midriff, preventing him from getting to his feet. Gavner laid him back down carefully.

    “You may be sore still, the doctor removed a part of your kidney.”

    Black Shadow looked around the room in shock. He never expected something as serious as this when he went into battle. He scanned the room, taking in his surroundings to bring him back to reality. The room was clean and well lit, the dark oak walls illuminated by lanterns meticulously placed in a perfect lighting pattern. Two barrels nestled in the far corner filled with food, and a small dresser stood against the wall opposite the bed.

    “Ah, you’re awake, good.” Callahan said stepping into the room. “I wanted to thank you personally.”

    Black Shadow looked at the captain and nodded his head.

    “We would not have survived without you two, you saved many men in that battle.”

    “We would not have been able to do it without Vir, captain.” Gavner said, his voice showing a sign of grief. “Captain, how much longer until we arrive in Davensport?”

    Black Shadow looked over at Gavner confused.

    “Right, I should probably fill you in on the plan. Without the cargo from Raiaera, we have no reason to make the trip to Corone. We have enough supplies to make the trip directly to Davenport, so that is where we are going.” Callahan said.

    “Thank you captain. One more thing sir.”

  4. #24
    Adventurer

    EXP: 6,985, Level: 3
    Level completed: 50%, EXP required for next Level: 2,015
    Level completed: 50%,
    EXP required for next Level: 2,015



    GP
    785

    Name
    Koli
    Location
    Raiaera
    "Koli, Have you read through the ancient texts on the healing techniques we will be going over today?" Abbas Amo asked.

    "Yes sir, I did." Koli answered.

    "Good, then let us begin. Take your hand and place it on the open wound here." Abbas instructed. The monastery bred many animals for the various techniques taught to the monks. This particular lesson would be taught on a boar, only a few months from its natural death. In preparation for the lesson, Abbas cut the boar deeply on the shoulder.

    Abbas watched Koli perform the healing technique, correcting him when needed, and preventing any further injury from incurring onto the boar. Koli successfully closed the wound as if it never existed and set the boar free to enjoy its final days.

    "Good Koli, you never cease to amaze me. Perhaps someday you will be the one to teach the other new monks." Abbas said smiling.



    "Jalaphar, I found a new technique in the ancient texts I wanted to try, will you allow me to test it on you?" Koli asked his friend, excited.

    "Test? You mean you haven't been taught it by Abbas?" Jalaphar questioned, raising his eyebrow.

    "Well not this one, I wanted to impress Amo. It's another healing technique."

    "Okay, okay, but you better not mess it up."

    Koli nodded and stepped towards Jalaphar. "Look at that Jalaphar" He said pointing out the window.

    "Koli, there is nothing th-"

    Koli cut Jalaphar's arm, leaving a large laceration. Jalaphar shouted in pain and glared in pain at Koli.

    "Why did you do that?" Jalaphar asked angrily, clenching his newfound wound.

    "Relax, I needed you to be hurt to perform the technique. Now hold on." Koli said, placing his hands on the laceration. He closed his eyes and whispered to himself softly, concentrating on the wound. Suddenly another arm sprouted from the incision, rapidly growing to be a fully fleshed limb.

    Jalaphar screamed as he moved his arms, all three synchronized at once. "Koli! What did you do! Get rid of it, oh man get rid of it!"

    Koli panicked, unsure of what to do. "Oh man, this wasn't supposed to happen, you were supposed to go numb and begin to heal instantly. Here, I can fix this." Koli said as he cut the arm free from Jalaphar's body.

    Jalaphar cried out in pain. "That's not helping!"

    "Here, here, Abbas taught me this technique, let me see." Koli said, placing his hands on the open wound and healing it. Jalaphar took a deep breath as the pain dissipated and shot Koli an angry look.

    "Koli, never again."


    "Let me know if there's anything else you need," The bartender said. "You know where to find me."With that, she vanished off into the night.

    A cool stillness lingered over the Nebulous District. Large ornate buildings, teeming with grandeur and elegance proudly filled the entire district. Cobblestone-paved streets stretched throughout the district in a vast web, weaving through scores of beautifully erected homes. After the rich homes, roads began to lead through high end shops, which sold luxury items such as jewelry and expensive clothing. Finally, the road led to a grand row of massive, ornate structures, which must have taken decades to complete. Among them stood monumental buildings such as the cathedral, the courthouse, a large government building, and finally, the library. The beautifully crafted buildings boasted smooth gray walls, mirror glass windows, and flat top roofs which slanted backwards. Koli stood in awe of the architecture, creations carved such that the stone walls flowed as waves tossed in the ocean, yet also such that the creators sculpted the buildings from the side of a mountain. A large wall towered above the colossal buildings, behind which Koli heard the thunder of crashing waves in the crisp evening air. Although no mist caressed the monk's face, the smell of sea salt shrouded the area, adding to its divine beauty.

    Koli turned his attention to the large ornate library doors, wrought of beautiful Nijon Redwood. Large splendidly decorated pillars, with carved curling scrolls furled from the top of the pillar all the way down to its base, supported a large building title about five stories up which read: BIBLIOTECH.

    The priest climbed the smooth gray stairs until he reached the large, rectangular wooden doors. They held fast, sealed shut with their massive weight, and Koli knew that he could not cause them to budge had he even tried. Off to the left hid a small man-sized door wrought of the same material as the large doors, except the main door boasted gold studs encrusted around its border, and a silver ring handle. Koli reached out and pulled the door open before entering. A colossal dome housed a massive chandelier which cast a soft glow about the entire chamber, illuminating lavish paintings and carvings in the wall. Koli started across the circular floor, noting the dark tiles and white marbled, glossed over stone on the floor. He glanced around him, observing the evenly spaced staircases, perfectly perpendicular to the tangent of the edge of the circle which they inhabited. The priest could only imagine the vast wealth of knowledge that these passageways led to. One of them had to lead to the book that could tell him about the ancient magical plasma.

    "Excuse me," A high pitched, squeaky voice echoed throughout the hall. "If you are here for help, I'm afraid I get off in twenty minutes. You can browse the library as long as you like, as it never closes, but if you need help on finding anything specific you'll have to wait until morning."

    Koli looked to see a young woman, garbed in a black dress with long curly brown hair. The priest nodded. He cocked his head slightly indicating an inquiry.

    "What can I help you with?"

    He motioned to the staircases and swooped his extended arm in an arc over his head, conjuring a long staff at the bottom of the arc.

    "Magic and ancient arts can be found at the 270 degree stairwell, on the eighth floor."

    Koli nodded in thanks and started off to his left. He began to ascend the elegant marble up into the heart of the building. The staircase took him directly to the eighth floor, whereupon shelves upon shelves of books lined every wall, and filled every available inch of the space, leaving little room to walk between isles.

    The monk walked to a long vertical window and looked out over the sea wall taking in the beauty of the ocean before him. Large waves crashed against the stone climbing high against the barrier and falling back into the sea. Koli drew a deep breath in and exhaled slowly, taking a moment before he began to seek what he needed - he had a lot of work ahead of him.

    Koli spent the best of three days tirelessly scouring the books on ancient magic, reading every tome, scroll, and history book searching for information on what he experienced without any luck. The vast assortment of books riddled throughout the library contained information about every subject and would take months to read through them all - a dream world for Koli. Not finding the information he needed within the magical texts, Koli resorted to indirect research.

    The monk started with the history of Dheathain, finding little information he did not already know. The Drakari ruled the lands and their hostility towards foreigners left a lasting impression on all those without dragon blood.

    Koli returned to the inn each day to care for the boy he saved. Two weeks of searching for the information on the powerful magic had passed, and the young man had not woken once. He fell into a deep coma after being beaten, and Koli worried the boy would not awaken without intervention. He returned to the library in search of a way to save the boy.

    The monk spent two days reading books on medical practices, praying to find a way to save his companion. Koli lost hope in his search, grabbing the final book from a shelf. He read through it quickly before coming to a page on waking people from their slumber. He studied the images, practicing the technique to himself before returning to the inn.

    The boy slept peacefully in the bed, not moving a muscle. Koli stepped up to the edge of the bed, placing one hand on his forehead, and another on his chest. The monk closed his eyes and took a deep breath in for four seconds, out for three. He concentrated and whispered the spell, moving his hand from the chest up to the boy's forehead, and over to his temples.
    Last edited by Koli; 08-21-2023 at 11:14 AM.

  5. #25
    Adventurer

    EXP: 7,337, Level: 3
    Level completed: 59%, EXP required for next Level: 1,663
    Level completed: 59%,
    EXP required for next Level: 1,663


    drake's Avatar

    GP
    764

    Name
    Drake
    Age
    Unknown (Appears as Fledgling Adult)
    Race
    Spirit
    Gender
    Male
    Location
    Raiaera
    When heaven's life shall end,
    And tear the world apart,
    To sate wicked's demand,
    And mate with power's heart.


    A suffocating heat oppressed Drake, preventing his breathing and shrouding him in suffering. He winced as his skin crawled and felt as if it would soon peel away from his flesh, and he smelled burning hair about himself. He struggled to observe his surroundings through his burning eyes.

    He stood in a massive, castle chamber encompassing a span of about two acres. Tall gray walls devoid of all tapestries or decorations composed the perimeter of the large square room, with glowing red mortar filling the space between the stones and holding the walls together. A large, deep wrought iron grate lined the edge of the floor, encapsulating the room in continuity as red hot flames hungrily licked the castle walls. The flames cast a shadowy illumination of the resulting chamber.

    Large silver circular floodgates rose from the very center of the space, a metal chair resting atop. A slumped figure sat in the chair, arms pulled fully out to each side by long chains which fastened to the ceiling. The figure's head slumped low, as if weak on the verge of death. Drake noticed the same inscription from the tree etched into the floodgates below the chair. A shiver ran down the half angel's spine upon looking at the runes. Above the chair, Drake saw some kind of interdimensional portal. A mirror like film formed a circular pool of liquid which, if not for the gentle waving and occasional ripple of the pool, Drake would have mistaken for glass. A golden rim formed the edge of the pool, keeping it in perfect balance as to not spill over the edge. Two figures stood facing the chained person in the chair.

    One short, unidentifiable shadowy figure with a drawn hood in a long cloak stood next to a tall ugly humanoid. He wore demon wrought armor and red, skin with metal spikes protruding covered his bald head. Two deplorable horns sprouted from his crown, and two black feathery wings, dripping with tar protruded from his back. Drake recognized this tall figure as a wicked host.

    "The time has come," came a low gravelly voice which sounded like rocks grinding on broken glass. The lord spoke to the shorter, shadowy figure. "You have delivered everything required."

    The hooded figure nodded. The lord produced a razor sharp glass shard which teemed with a bright magical glow of the plasma stream Drake had previously seen.

    "With the final two shards, one connected to the divines and one connected to the world," the demon said, raising the magical glass, "We fulfil!"

    The demon lord plunged the shard into the chained figure's chest, and a blinding flash of light illuminated the entire room.

    Before Drake could see what happened, an inexplicably painful force in his naval violently tore him from the scene. His vision completely blurred and his body felt as if it crashed through a wall of solid oak. The sensation came again, and again as he broke through interdimensional barrier after barrier. He closed his eyes and curled his astral body up as to ward off the pain. Suddenly, a feeling of thousands of needles pricked the entirety of his existence, and his spirit swelled and bloated. Drake felt as if he could burst like an overripe tomato hurled against a stone wall, and his eyes felt as though they would pop from their sockets. His spirit stopped moving, and felt as if something had dragged him through a pit of lava. Then his spirit froze, feeling as if solid ice encapsulated him. And then he was suffocating.

    Drake gasped for air and bolted upright, unexpectedly smashing his head on something. The young angel fell back in bed and curled up into the fetal position, gasping for breath and groaning in pain. Oh how he hurt! He coughed, and winced and throbbed and moaned out loud as the pain refused to subside. After several minutes, Drake became accustomed to the spiritual pain he incurred, and his mind turned to how terrible his body felt. His bruised and battered body cried out in pain, cut and gashed. Open wounds in his arms oozed, and blood stained his clothing in his abdomen. He rubbed his head from where he had bumped it, and slowly sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed.

    Looking up, he noticed the friendly face underneath a white hood.

    "Y-you," Drake said, voice wavering,"...you saved me." Drake said.

    The man simply stared back at Drake.

    "Thank you. I- I don't know what to say." Drake said.

    Drake could see the man's face, obscured by shadows, move a bit to smile. The man reached up and pulled down his hood, exposing a severely burned and defiled face. Drake winced in sympathy.

    "I didn't cause that, did I?" Drake asked sheepishly.

    The man shook his head. He reached behind him and produced a plate of food and a tankard of milk, handing them to Drake.

    ""You don't talk much, do you?" The young angel asked.

    The man smiled again. Drake started to get up, but clutched his side and fell to his bed in pain. The monk produced a long staff and gave it to Drake to use.

    "Thanks," Drake said, taking the staff. "I just have to use the chamber pot." The young angel looked at the glowing blue staff in his hand and read, inscribed on the staff, "KOLI."

    "Koli," Drake said. "Is that your name?"

    The priest simply smiled, and opened the door for Drake.
    Last edited by drake; 08-21-2023 at 11:51 AM.

  6. #26
    Adventurer

    EXP: 38,578, Level: 8
    Level completed: 40%, EXP required for next Level: 5,422
    Level completed: 40%,
    EXP required for next Level: 5,422


    Gavner_Nahs's Avatar

    GP
    2,619

    Name
    XP34748
    Age
    unknown
    Race
    Vampire
    Gender
    Male
    Location
    Raiaera
    "About Howland Pyle" Gavner started, "What um, how-"

    "It's okay my boy," Callahan stopped Gavner, "I understand. You"ve noticed that Pyle and I have had history."

    "Yes," Gavner replied. "How did you know him?"

    Callahan sighed. "There are times of my life that I am not especially proud of. A great deal of those times consist of the time I did with the Black Sails Fleet."

    Gavner looked questioningly at the friendly bearded captain.

    "Piracy." Callahan responded.

    Gavner and Black Shadow both perked up a bit.

    "Piracy exists among the high seas of Althanas, but when the turn of the age brought the might of organized continental Navies, piracy fell to the wayside. The smartest pirates called a convention to stand against the might of organized military forces. They had to forge a force worthy of opposing their newfound aggressors." Callahan said with a twinkle in his eye. "Apart they were nothing, but together, together they composed an organized force that could take on any Navy."

    "Thus, the Black Sails Fleet was formed" Gavner finished.

    "Exactly," Callahan replied. "Me, I started off as just a merchant boy working for my father...

    Callaghan regaled the two warriors with a story, but the reality of the matter was much worse. Having worked for nearly a sesquicentennial in countertrafficking operations, kept artificially alive by ancient magick long thought "forbidden," and famously misunderstood- the captain lied. He was a pirate after all. He told them the bare minimum facts, and severely polarized the story as to make himself sound like a villain. To his surprise, the two warriors listened until the very end, whereupon they shared an understanding.

    "So you took somebody else's business, and flipped it for a profit?"

    A barrel of carrots fell over, scattering orange tubular vegetables with leafy green tops all over the place.

    The pirate and vampire laughed hysterically.

    "Oh, the size of their heads when they get a half-penny of judgmental power and still manage to trip on it."
    Last edited by Gavner_Nahs; 09-04-2023 at 05:55 PM. Reason: 3L¡d5

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